Looking at the Dec. issue of Garden Railways there is a bachmann Shay on the cover and it got me thinking. The 2 truck Shay is a very interesting and hence popular loco but just how prevalent are they in the large scale world. Bachmann had 3 runs of this engine so the demand for them must have been huge compared to the other geared locos they produced like the Heisler, Climax and 3 truck. Or maybe they were trying to fixx issues? I have seen the shay in many videos, books and issues of GR magazines. Is there tons of them out there or do they just make good photograph subjects?
Where some large scalers started with a Bachmann starter set and the 4-6-0 was the next step up a Shay as their interests grew?
I own a 38 ton 3rd generation Shay and even though it doesn’t get alot of track time it still is one of my favorite locomotives.
How about you do you onw one?
Yup…, Got a 3 truck for the mining area, now that it’s nearly done, she will see a lot more run time. I Love the look of the shays, and they always get an question from those that don’t understand how they work.
Got a two truck as the second 1:20.3 loco I picked up. First one was a K-27. The 3-truck is an unbelievable value right now on ebay…I know if I don’t get one I’ll regret it in a year or two. I think Bachmann made them because they are indeed popular…A big engine that looks at home on layouts large and small.
Finally got my 2-truck shay running around the oval. My gosh, what a step up from the Ten Wheeler toy!
I’ve owned two; both when they first came out. (Why, I haven’t a clue–young and foolish, I guess. I really don’t particularly like them, even.) I sold one off virtually new in box, the other got disassembled for a 7/8" scale project that went nowhere (and with the gears broken on the trucks, literally going nowhere) and ultimately sold for parts. They seemed to be very common when they first came out. I don’t see them at shows quite as much now days, but that could be because there are so many other locos to dilute the pool of what people bring.
Later,
K
Thats one engine I never really felt the need to buy. I think its because I like the Climax much better (Class A).
I have a mining layout and it just had to have a Shay.
Bob. How come all these Shay pictures are coming up in code?
I have two (Three and a two truck), my favorites to run. Maybe it is the fascinating workings of all the cylinders and gears, or just because it was the number one logging loko out here in the Northwest. I may have to pick up another Three Truck for a back up–mine is a first run.
Number two runner is my Heisler and my Climax rarely gets used.
Too expensive, always has been in any guise, besides it has never liked R1 curves so I built my own versions of geared engines that worked much better on my tight turns.
I have a two-truck shay. The gears cracked in it and I bought Delrin replacements from NWSL. It ran for a little bit, but it is in the middle of a modeling project.
My interest in the shay is, the two-truck shays were used exclusively on the Warren-Lamb lumber company and I plan to model a couple of them.
Quote:I don't know why two, but one is easy: McKelvey Brothers #3!
I've owned two; both when they first came out. (Why, I haven't a clue
That was originally part of my rationale for one, especially since I was still doing 1:24 at the time. McKelvey #3 was a 50-ton 2-truck Shay, and my thought was to “downsize” the Bachmann loco to match. Then I moved, switched to 1:20.3, and came to the conclusion that a locomotive that’s only fun to look at from one side is pathetically boring half the time. It may as well be a diesel if you’re on the wrong side!
My “geared steam” itch is currently being scratched by a Climax that I’m re-doing into Perry Lumber Co. #265. It ran on logging lines that connected to both the Newport & Sherman’s Valley and Tuscarora Valley railroads. It’s based on a B’mann Climax, though with a new boiler and cab to match the prototype. I thought about doing the Climax that ran on the ganister quarry at Stanton, but it’s an 18-ton T-boiler and too small for the B’mann chassis. (I’ll post photos when there’s something photo-worthy to post.)
Later,
K
There are only five of us on my lttle clique of US/Canadian modellers, but between us we have fourteen Shays - I have four myself, three sparkie and one steam, and one guy has both the Aster Maryland Shay AND the Alishan Shay. Especially at meet-the-public days they are a very popular feature here in yUK.
All that busy-ness, going nowhere fast - it’s a bit like life, doncha think?
tac
I have one, but it hasn’t run since I switched over to battery power. I like it a lot, and probably should put it on the “round tuit” list.
Bear in mind it was the Bachmann Shay that started the 1/20.3 revolution. The first affordable off the shelf loco in that scale !
The thing is…once you see one in real life, with the pistons and drive rods spinning wildly, chuffing and bellowing like a express engine going 105 when its grappling up an 7% grade at 5 mph, you find yourself really REALLY wanting one 
(http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/8c/8a/26/roaring-camp-locomotive.jpg)
I have a first generation 2 truck that I picked up used in a swap deal last winter. It’s currently still in the shop, primarily for truck rebuilding. I have a new set of metal gears pressed on the axles (thanks to Gary B). I’m hoping to be able to salvage the trucks, but they are in tough shape. I may end up waiting until I can afford the metal replacements.
LEssee…I dont actually have a Bmann Two truck Shay…as Bachmann builds them…I have a Two Truck built from parts to look like Manns Creek No.8…Then I have a Three truck Shay Built from 2 truck Shay parts before the three truck Shay was availible ( I do have a stock Three Truck awaiting its turn to meet the Screwdriver of Destiny on the Alter of the Razorsaw) …and there is a Class A T boiler Shay under construction from Bachmann components…Lessee am I forgetting anything? OH YES! there is the 4 Truck Class D Shay I built from Parts of two other Shays…So is that a total of 5 or 6 Shays?
And I forgot to mention my 2 cylinder / two truck live steam T-Boiler Shay 
One of the main reasons I got in to Large Scale was to get a nice running and nice looking three truck shay.
(http://i542.photobucket.com/albums/gg412/DrGrab/BossCrumb.jpg)
I had nothing but troubles with the HO replicas. Also my favorite prototype the Little River RR had a large number of stem winders. Tom